Carrier for a peripheral device rack

ABSTRACT

A carrier includes a drive bracket ( 30 ), a bezel ( 20 ), and a lever ( 10 ). The drive bracket includes a front plate ( 32 ) and a side plate ( 34 ). A first opening ( 322 ) and a second opening ( 342 ) are respectively defined in the front plate and the side plate. The bezel defines an aperture ( 24 ) corresponding to the first opening of the drive bracket. The lever includes a main body ( 16 ) and a handle ( 12 ). Two stop tabs ( 142 ) project from the handle. The main body has an end portion ( 162 ). When the drive bracket is slid into a rack ( 70 ), the stop tabs abut a front frame ( 76 ) of the rack thereby preventing the carrier from being over-inserted into the rack. Then when the handle is pressed, the end portion extends through the second opening of the drive bracket to engage with the rack thereby securing the carrier to the rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to computer equipment enclosures,and particularly to a carrier for a peripheral device rack. 2. PRIOR ART

[0002] Many computer systems, including personal computers,workstations, servers and embedded systems are designed to have multipleperipheral devices included therein. A typical personal computer systemincludes a processor, associated memory and control logic, and a numberof peripheral devices that provide input and output (I/O) for thesystem. Such peripheral devices include, for example, compact diskread-only memory (CD-ROM) drives, hard disk drives, and floppy diskdrives. Additionally, computer systems often have capability tointerface with external enclosures that include additional peripheraldevices.

[0003] For many applications, it is desirable to include a maximumpossible number of peripheral devices enclosed in a chassis of acomputer system. For example, a large number of hard disk drives canenhance the system's external memory capability. An example of this typeof computer system is disclosed in Taiwan Pat. No. 467354. As shown inFIGS. 6-8, a carrier 50 comprises a handle 60 at the front thereof. Thehandle 60 comprises an end portion 62. To install the carrier 50 in aperipheral device rack 80, the handle 60 is pushed in a first direction,and the end portion 62 is thus extended through an opening 84 of theperipheral device rack 80. However, when the carrier 50 is slid into therack, it is substantially obscured by a front frame 86 of the rack 80.The user is unable to easily ascertain whether the carrier 50 hasreached a correct installed position. As a result, the carrier 50 may beover-inserted into the rack 80. When this happens, the carrier 50 maybecome stuck in the rack 80. In addition, the carrier 50 or the rack 80may be damaged. In particular, electrical terminals inside the rack 80may be damaged by the leading end of the carrier 50.

[0004] Thus an improved carrier which overcomes the above-mentionedproblems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide acarrier which allows convenient installation and removal of a peripheraldevice into and from a peripheral device rack.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a carrier for a peripheraldevice rack in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention includes a drive bracket, a bezel and a lever. The drivebracket includes a front plate and a side plate. A first opening and asecond opening are respectively defined in said front plate and sideplate. The bezel defines an aperture corresponding to the first openingof the drive bracket. The lever includes a main body and a handle. Apair of stop tabs projects from said handle. The main body comprises anend portion. When the drive bracket is slid into a rack, the stop tabsof the lever abut a front frame of the rack thereby preventing thecarrier from being over-inserted into the rack. Then when the handle ispressed, the end portion extends through the second opening of the drivebracket to engage with the rack, thereby securing the carrier to therack.

[0007] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the presentinvention will be drawn from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention with the attacheddrawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a carrier in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carriercomprising a drive bracket, a bezel and a lever;

[0009]FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;

[0010]FIG. 3 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the carrier of FIG. 1 received in arack, showing the lever of the carrier abutting a front frame of therack;

[0012]FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but showing the lever pressed inward,and an end portion of the lever securely engaged in an opening of therack;

[0013]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a conventional carrier.

[0014]FIG. 7 is an exploded, isometric view of the carrier of FIG. 6correctly received in a rack; and

[0015]FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, but showing the carrier of FIG. 6over-inserted into and stuck in the rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] The present invention will be described in its preferredembodiment, and in conjunction with a peripheral device such as a harddisk drive (HDD) (not shown).

[0017]FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a carrier for a peripheral device rack inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thecarrier is for retaining the HDD therein.

[0018] The carrier includes a drive bracket 30, a bezel 20 installed ata front face of the drive bracket 30, a lever 10 pivotably attached tothe bezel 20, and a spring 40 attached between the bezel 20 and thelever 10.

[0019] The drive bracket 30 is for receiving the HDD therein, andcomprises a front plate 32 and an adjacent side plate 34. A firstopening 322 and an adjacent second opening 342 are respectively definedin the front plate 32 and side plate 34. A catch tongue 324 is stampedinwardly from the front plate 32, adjacent the first opening 322 anddistal from the second opening 342.

[0020] The bezel 20 defines a large recess 22 in a front thereof. Therecess 22 is bounded in part by a main inner side 222. An elongateaperture 24 is defined through the recess 22, for extension of the lever10 therein. A slanted locking arm 242 extends outwardly from an edge ofthe main inner side 222 at an end of the aperture 24. A pair of parallelears 26 extends rearwardly from the main inner side 222, respectively atupper and lower sides of the aperture 24. Each ear 26 defines a firstpivot hole 262 therein.

[0021] The lever 10 comprises a main body 16 and a handle 12. The mainbody 16 comprises an end portion 162. A second pivot hole 164 is definedin the end portion 162, corresponding to the first pivot holes 262 ofthe bezel 20. A protrusion 166 is formed inside the end portion 162. Thehandle 12 comprises a top portion 14, and a pair of stop tabs 142projecting from the top portion 14. A through hole 144 is defined in thetop portion 14. A catch bar 146 is formed in the through hole 144, forengaging with the locking arm 242 of the bezel 20.

[0022] In assembly of the carrier, the bezel 20 is attached to the frontplate 32 of the drive bracket 30 by conventional means. The ears 26 ofthe bezel 20 extend through the first opening 322 of the front plate 32.The main body 16 of the lever 10 is extended through the aperture 24 ofthe bezel 20 and sandwiched between the ears 26. The first pivot holes262 of the ears 26 are aligned with the second pivot hole 164 of thelever 10, and a pivot pin (not shown) is extended through the first andsecond pivot holes 262, 164 to pivotably attach the lever 10 to thebezel 20. The spring 40 is then attached between the catch tongue 324 ofthe drive bracket 30 and the protrusion 166 of the lever 10. Thus thedrive bracket 30, the bezel 20, the lever 10 and the spring 40 areattached together. The lever 10 is pivotably movable in the firstopening 322 of the front plate 32 of the drive bracket 30, and the endportion 162 of the lever 10 is pivotably movable in the second opening342 of the side plate 34.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 4-5, a peripheral device rack 70 has agenerally parallelepiped-shaped construction. The rack 70 comprises alateral wall 72 and a front frame 76. The lateral wall 72 defines aplurality of third openings 74 therein, each third opening 74 selectablycorresponding to the end portion 162 of the lever 10.

[0024] To install the carrier into the rack 70, the carrier is slidinglyinserted into a selected slideway (not labeled) of the rack 70 via thefront frame 76. The stop tabs 142 of the lever 10 abut the front frame76, thereby preventing the carrier from being over-inserted into therack 70. The handle 12 of the lever 10 is rotated in direction A (seeFIG. 4). The locking arm 242 of the bezel 20 extends through the throughhole 144 and snappingly engages with the catch bar 146. Simultaneously,the end portion 162 of the lever 10 extends through the second opening342 of the drive bracket 30 and a corresponding third opening 74 of therack 70. The lever 10 is held in equilibrium in this position, with theelongated spring 40 resiliently pulling the end portion 162, and thelocking arm 242 retaining the handle 12. The carrier is thus securelyreceived in the rack 70.

[0025] To remove the carrier out from the rack 70, the locking arm 242of the bezel 20 is pressed so that it is released from the catch bar146. The handle 12 is simultaneously rotated in a direction opposite todirection A. The end portion 162 of the lever 10 exits the third opening74 of the rack 70 and the second opening 342 of the drive bracket 30.The carrier is then easily slid out from the rack 70.

[0026] It is understood that the invention may be embodied in otherforms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the presentexamples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limitedto the details given herein.

1. A carrier for a peripheral device rack, comprising: a drive bracket for receiving an electronic device therein and adapted to be received in the rack, the drive bracket comprising a front plate and an adjacent side plate, said front plate and side plate respectively defining a first opening and an adjacent second opening; a bezel attached to the front plate of the drive bracket, the bezel defining an aperture corresponding to the first opening of the drive bracket; a lever comprising a handle and a main body pivotably extending through the aperture of the bezel and the first opening of the bracket, a pair of stop tabs projecting from said handle, the main body comprising an end portion; and spring means attached between the drive bracket and the lever; wherein when the drive bracket is slid into the rack, the stop tabs of the lever abut the rack thereby preventing the carrier from being over-inserted into the rack, and the end portion extends through the second opening of the drive bracket to engage with the rack thereby securing the carrier to the rack.
 2. The carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bezel defines a recess in a front thereof, the aperture is defined in the bezel at the recess.
 3. The carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the recess is bounded in part by a main inner side, a pair of parallel ears extends rearwardly from the main inner side respectively at upper and lower sides of the aperture, said ears extend through the first opening of the drive bracket, and each of the ears defines a first pivot hole therein.
 4. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body of the lever defines a second pivot hole corresponding to the first pivot holes of the bezel.
 5. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein a slanted locking arm extends outwardly from an edge of the main inner side at an end of the aperture.
 6. The carrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein the top portion of the lever defines a through hole therein, a catch is formed adjacent the through hole, and the locking arm of the bezel extends through the through hole to engage with the catch.
 7. The carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein a catch tongue is stamped from the front plate, adjacent the first opening and distal from the second opening, a protrusion is formed inside the end portion of the main body of the lever corresponding to said catch tongue, the spring is attached between said catch tongue and protrusion.
 8. A mounting apparatus comprising: a rack comprising a front frame and a lateral wall, the lateral wall defining an opening; and a carrier comprising: a drive bracket received in the rack; a bezel attached to a front portion of the drive bracket; a lever pivotably attached to the bezel, the lever comprising a handle and a body, the handle comprising at least one stop tab; and spring means attached between the drive bracket and the lever; wherein the lever is pivotable between a first position in which the body of the lever engages in the opening of the rack and the at least one stop portion is spaced from the front frame of the rack, and a second position in which the body is released from the opening and the at least one stop tab abuts the front frame.
 9. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drive bracket comprise a front plate and an adjacent side plate, said front plate and side plate respectively defining a first opening and a second opening.
 10. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the body of the lever comprises an end portion extending through the second opening of the drive bracket and the opening of the rack in the first position.
 11. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bezel defines a recess therein and an aperture at said recess, and the lever extends through the aperture and is pivotably attached to the bezel.
 12. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the recess is bounded in part by a main inner side, a pair of parallel ears extends rearwardly from the main inner side respectively at upper and lower sides of the aperture, the ears extend through the first opening of the drive bracket, and each of the ears defines a first pivot hole therein.
 13. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the body of the lever defines a second pivot hole therein corresponding to the first pivot holes of the bezel.
 14. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a slanted locking arm extends outwardly from an edge of the main inner side at an end of the aperture, the handle of the lever defines a through hole, a catch is formed adjacent the through hole, and the locking arm of the bezel extends through the through hole to engage with the catch in the first position.
 15. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a catch tongue is stamped from the front plate adjacent the first opening and distal from the second opening, a protrusion is formed inside the end portion of the body of the lever, and the spring means is attached between said catch tongue and said protrusion.
 16. A mounting apparatus comprising: a rack defining a cavity confined by a front frame and a lateral wall; an opening defined in the lateral wall adjacent to said front frame; a carrier comprising: a drive bracket received in the cavity; and a lever pivotally located around a front portion of the bracket, said lever including a main body with an end portion and a handle located at two opposite sides of a pivotal axis thereof, said handle including a stop tab; wherein during assembling, the lever is rotated to a first position where the lever generally extends along a front-to-back direction and the end portion is laterally inwardly recessed away from the corresponding lateral wall for easy insertion of the drive bracket relative to the rack until the stop tab abuts agains the front frame, and then the lever is rotated to a second positon where the lever generally extends along a lateral direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction and the end portion is moved to be locked into the opneing. 